Coin checking device for coin-freed telephone installations



Dec. 12, 1933. o, MQSER 1,939,513

COIN CHECKING DEVICE FOR COIN FREED TELEPHONE INSTALLATIONS Filed Dec. 7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l O m i Dec. 12, 1933. o. MOSER 1,939,513

COIN CHECKING DEVICE FOR COIN FREED TELEPHONE INSTALLATIONS Filed Dec. 7, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES COIN CHECKING DEVICE FOR COIN-FREED" TELEPHONE INSTALLATIONS Otto Moser, Bern, Switzerland Application December 7, 1931, Serial No. 579,543, and in Switzerland January 24, 1931 Claims. (Cl. 194-16) 5 conversation after inserting a suitable coin. The

machines are arranged either 1 for local or for local and distant trafiic. In circuits with manual operation the coins can be checked in both cases 'by the operator at the exchange. By means of 10 optical or acoustic signals she checks the correct insertion of money. I

In automatically operated circuits where in local traffic and to an increasing extent in distant traffic no operators are necessary for establishing communication, either the automatic machines must be connected to special checking places or coin freed machines must be used which check the insertion of coins automatically and permit of communication when the inserted coins correspondto. the:fee.;.- In local trafiic this condition is comparatively easily fulfilled because the check is limited to a single fee of, for example, 20 Rp. It is then suflicient to weigh or measure the coin.

A coin check acting on different principles is necessary to establish with the automatic machines by means of the dial calls for which the fees depend on the distance.

In completely automatic distant communication, the distance is distinguished by the numbersallotted. One place has,.for examp1e,num-

bers 2000-2999 and another has the numbers- 30003999. By choosing the figure 2 or the figure 3 as the first number of the numberselection or other so-called identifying" symbol, the charge for the call is determined. The'recording of the identifying symbols is known and is used every where in completely automatic distant operation for registering the charges. With coin freed machines, however,'the determination of the charge alone is not sufiicient but there must be a check on whether the coins inserted correspond with the fee which has been fixed. For this purpose the amount of money inserted must be recorded cam disc 11 and the locking cam s.

the automatic machines. The signals produced by the inserted coins must be more restricted if the check on the amount of money inserted and its correspondence with the telephone communication desired is to be effected without the assistance of an operator by any kind of switching means.

By the present invention the conditions are fulfilled in a simple and satisfactory manner by this that the coin checking device at the automatic telephone station is provided with a current impulse transmitter, which, when a coin is introduced into the coin channel, is prepared and when the coin. is found to be correct is released by the latter, the transmitted impulse being employed for establishing the connection or for giving signals; In spite of the small weight and the non-uniform speed of fall of the coins, the arrangement according to the invention obtains a satisfactory production of signals as is ensured by the numeral switch which has been employed for years in automatic telephone operation. r

A constructional example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying-drawings.

Fig. 1" shows a coin receiving arrangement partly in section and its circuit arrangement for completely automatic operation.

Fig. 2 is a cross section through the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 shows the circuit arrangement on the exchange whereby the amount of money introduced into the coin receiver can be checked by means of signals. V I

In the following the separate parts of the coin receiver. and their functions will be illustrated with reference to an example.

If in one of the slots Mu, in the opening for 20 centime pieces such a coin is inserted, the triangular metal piece a which is rotatable on the end of the lever b is turned against the action of the'spiral spring (1 and simultaneously pressed downwards with the lever 17. By this displacement, the sector 0, which is rigidly connected with the lever and is toothed is moved towards the left (Fig. 1). The toothed wheel e is thereby turned, and, at the same time, the spring '0 (Fig. 2) in the spring casing g is tensioned. The spiral spring d ensures that after an impulse has been given, the receivingarrangement will be moved back into its position of rest. The spring casing g engages with the toothed wheel w, which is mounted on a common shaft with the The ratchet wheel t and pawl u form a device for preventing the spring '0 being excessively tensioned. The ratchet wheel 1 with the corresponding pawl, holds the tensioned spring 1;.

If the inserted coin has passed correctly from the coin tester Mp, where it is tested for its size and its metallic qualities, in falling further it strikes against the coin lever h. This carries a pin 2 which then is pushed under the extension q of the current impulse spring 0. If this pin lies correctly in the recess of the spring extension q, the release arm T, which is rigidly coupled With the lever h, is moved sufficiently far from the locking cam s for the spring 12 which was tensioned by the insertion of the coin to be freed from tension through the spring nut. :The impulse wheel n which is cut fora maximum of five current impulses begins to rotate in" the same manner .as the impulse disc of a numeral switch. No current impulses are, however, given since the impulse spring 0 bears with its extension q against the pin 2 of the lever h. If, however, three recesses of the impulse wheel 11. have passed under the spring 0, the pin m mounted in this wheel strikes against the lever h and pushes it back into its position of rest. The current impulse spring o now has no support and it'falls successively into the remaining two recesses of the impulse wheel n and gives two current impulses by the conductor leading to the exchange Z. r

If, for example, a 10 centime piece is placed in the appropriate slot, the lever with its pin 1 is pushed under the spring extension p of the current impulse spring 0. A pin 1 corresponding to this lever is provided on the impulse wheel 11. with corresponding displacement, and so the current impulse spring 0 is only released when four recesses of the impulse spring n have passed the-cam of the current impulse spring 0. One impulse is then given by the fifth recess.

In the coin channel for 50 centime pieces, a leveris is provided which cannot affect the current impulse'spring 0. Thus, if a 50 centime piece operates this lever is (Fig. 2), the impulse mechanism is released. Since the spring 0 is not now supported, all the five impulsesare given to the exchange according to the divisions of the impulse wheel.

A 10 centime piece thus gives one current impulse, a 20 centime piece two and a 50 centime piece five impulses.

These impulses caused by the insertion of coins operate-in the exchange Z through a relay JM on the selector NW. According to the amount of moneyinserted, this performs steps of rotation, one step when a 10 centime piece is inserted, two steps for a 20 centime piece and five steps for a 50 centime piece and so on. If, for example, a 20 centime piece and a 50 centime piece are inserted, the coin selector reaches the seventh contact. If, after the coins have been inserted, the dialing is commenced when the receiver is taken up the coin selector MW is switched off and the fee selector TW is switched on. This performs steps of rotation corresponding to the dialing. Ifthe caller at the automatic machine, for example, chooses first the number 4, and if this number corresponds to the positions '7 of the coin -selector, that is, with the amount of' money inserted (Fig. 1), the connecting relay D responds through the two selector arms a: and y, and the'controlling contact 2, and there is no obstruction to the connection being established. If, on the other hand, at the end of the series of identifying signal impulses the coin selector and the fee selector do not agree, the establishment of communication is prevented. The caller at the automatic machine receives the signal indicating that the number is engaged, and on hanging up the receiver the money inserted is returned.

The'scheme of connections of the selecting device (c'oin selector and fee selector) necessary at the exchange in connection with the coin receiving arrangement is not fully described because it is not a part of the actual invention and can be carried out with known means in manual distant operation, the presence of the tax selector TW is sufficient by passing on signals to the operators.

Fig. 3 shows a circuit arrangement in which the making known the actual amount of money inserted a buzzer S is coordinated with the fee selector TW. By this arrangement in distant connections which are not established automatically, the value of the coins inserted is made known to the operator.

If, for example, the distant exchange is called from an automatic machine, the trunk operator requires the caller to insert the fee for the desired i call. By the coins inserted, as explained with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the coin selector MW (Fig. 3) is operated. After the coins have been inserted this remains at the corresponding contact. Meanwhile the trunk operator has established communication and calls up the automatic machine. Through the c-conductor of the exchange selector a relay H is excited, which, through its contact hz, excites the tax selector TW. This begins to rotate slowly over theinterrupter'l and tests with its a-arm step by step the contacts of the coin selector MW at each step giving to the operator through its b-arm and the buzzer S a short tone. If the amount of money is, for example, 50centirnes,-the trunk operator 1.

hears five tone impulses, for 60 centimes six, for

'70 centimes seven, and 'so on. When the a-arm of the fee selector TWreaches the contact where:

the arm of the coin selector MW is, the relay P is excited and completes'a retaining current circuit which is not illustrated. The relay Pat its contact p cuts off the passage of signals to the I trunk operator while the two selectors are turned back to the position of rest inknown manner.

The remaining exchange connections which are not here of interest are indic'atedin Fig. 3 'by A.

What I claim is; v I

1.1An impulse sending device for coin-freed telephone installations, comprising coin channels with slots for the insertion of coins of different values, a current impulse transmitter, a driving mechanism for said impulse transmitter, leversthe numberof impulses during rotation of the impulse wheel.

2. An impulse sending device for coin-freed telephone installations, comprising coin channels .with'slots for the insertion of coins. of different values, a current impulse transmitter, a driving mechanism for said impulse transmitter, levers protruding into said channels behind the insertion slots and actuated by coins corresponding with the size of the slots to wind the driving mechanism, said impulse transmitter including an impulse wheel, means for locking said impulse wheel against rotation during the winding of the driving mechanism, a lever actuated by the inserted coin for releasing the locking means, said impulse wheel being turned a complete revolution at each insertion of a coin irrespective of the value of the coin, and a lever device for limiting the number of impulses during rotation of the impulse wheel, said lever device being returned to normal position by rotation of the impulse wheel during rotation of the latter.

3. An impulse sending device for coin-freed telephone installations, comprising coin channels, a current impulse transmitter including an impulse wheel, a spring driving mechanism for the impulse transmitter, means actuated upon the insertion of a coin in one of said channels for tensioning the driving mechanism, means to lock the impulse wheel against rotation during the tensioning of the driving mechanism, a lever in the path of coins adapted to release the locking 7 means, said impulse wheel being turned through impulse wheel, a spring driving mechanism for the impulse transmitter, means actuated upon the insertion of a coin in one of said channels for tensioning the driving mechanism, means to lockthe impulse wheel against rotation during the tensioning of the driving mechanism, a lever in the path of coins adapted to release the looking means, said impulse wheel being turned through a complete revolution by the driving mechanism upon the insertion of each coin irrespective of the value thereof, and means for limiting the number of impulses of the impulse wheel during a revolution thereof, the first mentioned lever including a substantially triangular member pivotally secured thereto adapted to be engaged by an inserted coin.

5. An impulse sending device for coin-freed telephone installations, comprising coin channels for the insertion of coins of different value, a current impulse transmitter including an impulse wheel, a driving mechanism for said impulse transmitter, said driving mechanism including a driving spring, and an escapement device associated therewith, levers in said channels and operated upon the insertion of a coin to tension said spring, means for locking the impulse wheel against rotation during the tensioning of said spring, said impulse wheel being turned through a complete revolution at the insertion of each coin irrespective of the value thereof, and means for limiting the number of impulses of the impulse wheel in accordance with the value of the coin inserted.

OTTO MOSER. 

